


For a certain value of normal

by Ephemera_pop (Alex_Draven)



Category: Popslash
Genre: M/M, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-02-20
Updated: 2006-02-20
Packaged: 2018-10-16 21:41:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10580028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alex_Draven/pseuds/Ephemera_pop
Summary: The air was heavy with heat, and the soft sounds of the other two sleeping blended with the cicadas and the shivering branches of the trees. The slatted blinds over the windows striped their skin, smudged shadows and shimmering sweat over pale skin and tan, the curve from Lance's buttocks to waist, the breadth of Chris's shoulders. Maybe while they were here Chris would finally catch some sun. That had been the point, really. To take advantage of their increasingly low profile, and head off somewhere where they weren't going to be recognized, where they could go out, see the sights, and hit the beach like regular guys.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [1000 Words challenge](http://community.livejournal.com/picfor1000/profile),. As always, many many thanks to Beta Team Alpha, and all remaining mistakes are my own, where I changed things after they saw it last.

**For a certain value of normal**

The air was heavy with heat, and the soft sounds of the other two sleeping blended with the cicadas and the shivering branches of the trees. The slatted blinds over the windows striped their skin, smudged shadows and shimmering sweat over pale skin and tan, the curve from Lance's buttocks to waist, the breadth of Chris's shoulders. Maybe while they were here Chris would finally catch some sun. That had been the point, really. To take advantage of their increasingly low profile, and head off somewhere where they weren't going to be recognized, where they could go out, see the sights, and hit the beach like regular guys.

Actually, it had been Chris's suggestion, and he'd done most of the planning, which explained why the _gite_ was nowhere near anywhere Joey had heard of, but there was an off-road driving centre a couple of hours away, and the beach was on a fast-flowing river, rather than being the more traditional seaside version. But there was a beach, and a bar, and this holiday cottage, set well outside the small town, where there were no neighbors to see Lance interrupt Chris's attempt at hosing Joey down by kissing him into submission. No reason for Lance not to reach out and subdue Chris by burying his fingers in that tangle of curls and tempting him close enough devour and be devoured. No reason for Joey not to join in, except that watching was fun too.

Not as much fun as trapping Lance between Chris on the bed and Joey's own hands, though, but only because there were very few things in life more fun than helping Chris make their lover fall apart, loose all his polish and poise between Chris's tongue in his mouth and Joey's on his ass.

*****

"Do you think he's ok?" Chris asked, from his spot leaning against a tree. Lance was out of earshot, wandering back towards the cottage to get another bottle of wine. Chris's eyes followed him, and Joey caught himself twisting round to watch as well.

"I think he's fine, fine, fine," Joey deadpanned, trying to work out where this was going, or where it had come from. The way Chris carefully blew out his breath meant that for once, joking wasn't what Chris was after. Joey moved round, dust and pine needles grating under the heel of his hand, so that his bare knee was resting against Chris's hairy calf, and he could look Chris in the eye. He crooked his eyebrow to invite Chris to continue.

Chris shrugged. "Just hits me sometimes, is all. That I can't tell for sure. I guess … I was just thinking, at least when I get messed up it's really blindingly obvious to everyone, you know? And you don't seem to do fucked in the head that way, but."

Joey tapped his forefinger to his temple and pointed at Chris with a soft smile. Chris leant into him, and jabbed him hard in the side, so he had to jerk back. He rubbed at the sore spot through his t-shirt, and the silence stretched out.

"I worry too," Joey admitted. "About both of you, but. Yeah. He hides it more."

"I figured he was talking to you."

"Some. Not about the Perez thing, though."

There was a crease between Chris's eyes, and when he looked up and then dragged the back of his hand across his forehead to get rid of it, Joey figured that Lance must be on his way back.

"So," Joey pitched his voice a little louder, but not enough to be obvious. "You want to drive over to that cave place tomorrow?"

*****

The roads were empty, the shadows long, and crammed together on the bench seat next to him, Chris and Lance were singing along to the car radio, their odd harmony blending with every song they recognized. It made Joey feel warm and happy, somehow.

Stevie Wonder faded out, and the DJs began a stream of fast French that Joey couldn't even begin to follow. Chris leaned down and snapped the radio off. Settling back, he squinched round to rest his head on Lance's shoulder, where he didn't have to look at anyone.

"Tell me something good," he asked quietly.

"Umm. This morning. Waking up and watching Joey suck you off."

Joey beamed, looking over to see if Chris was blushing at all, and then getting his eyes back on the road before Lance could get uptight about the risk of accidents.

"And you, Joe?"

"This morning was good. I love the way you get afterwards, too, all sappy and relaxed. Your turn."

"Something good? You mean like when Lance let me grab his hand when I was getting close. He was watching me, my face, and he didn't look away, and it felt like I could see right inside him?"

The awkward silence was palpable, made worse by the rising tone of Chris's words, like he was expecting an answer. Joey looked over. There was nowhere for Lance to be but pressed up against Chris, but he was staring fixedly out the side window.

"You remember when we used to play Rock Paper Scissors for the front seats in that old van? Driving this lunker kind of reminds me of that."

Joey threw out the lifeline, and was grateful when Chris picked it up.

"Yeah – you remember when we had to explain to Justin that you couldn't win by inventing new weapons?"

"Shit, yeah – what was it – a mallet or something?"

"A war hammer," Lance answered, even though he didn't look over. Chris caught Joey's eye, and smiled apologetically.

"Now that's got to be your fault, all those crappy fantasy novels," Joey teased Lance, who managed a smile, relaxing some.

"Hey – they weren't that crappy!" Chris insisted, and the bickering picked up both pace and volume, until eventually Lance had to yell at them both to shut up so he could concentrate on map reading.

They'd be ok.

***


End file.
